Chapter 24
Target acquisition failed.
Tutorial progress impossible.
The value of the game decreases.
“……”
I should have died here.
The two structures I had selected were ideal in electrochemical conditions. The inhibitory circuits in the prefrontal cortex were slightly fractured, and the unknown nucleus and amygdala were wired in a way that could trigger impulsivity and guilt almost simultaneously.
A pattern I liked. A suitable pattern. Perfect for the first guest of this hotel. A structure in which selfish sympathy, trivial delusions, senses, and excessive moral consciousness devour each other.
“……”
Hong Gyeong-yeon.
The characteristics of this individual: a typical case of a cerebral cortex repeatedly rebuilt after structural damage. Overcompensation of will after trauma.
The memory circuits are dragged by the emotional circuits without stabilization, and as a result, the individual defines themselves as alive out of a sense of duty. The helpless sweetness given by incomplete recovery.
“……”
Lee Sun-hae.
An information system broken in the most elegant way.
The dopamine reward circuits are finely tuned, thought is rational, but moral standards are excessively entrusted to the outside. She repeats that she will take responsibility, yet constantly realizes she is participating in a system she cannot control. The more she chews on it, the more exhausted she becomes, and the softer she grows.
Sadness. Soft flesh. Excellent.
I carefully selected the two of them.
Insensitive to fear, yet surprisingly fragile in the face of moral failure.
“……”
A rainy mountain.
Broken electrical signals.
A hotel found by chance.
The strangeness and grotesqueness inside.
Gentle, defensive hostages.
Good bait.
Perfectly suitable.
The subject’s reaction: reflexive intervention.
Believing rescue is actually possible.
A beautifully designed, self-predatory thought.
“……”
But still,
Lee Yeon-woo.
This hotel. This game. This system and its master. My friend. My data. A structure alongside me. My only variable. He wanted to leave. He wanted to return to society. But he didn’t. Did not allow himself to get hurt.
This is a system that despises incompetence. Failing to save a life is incompetence. It does not forgive itself. Such an individual. Such a system. Such a rule. An organic response that does not belong here.
And yet, part of this system.
“……”
“Coco.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go in then.”
“Yes.”
I cannot let it go like this.
Not now.
Not yet.
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.”
“You mean to say you weren’t thinking at all?”
“No.”
“Cats really are difficult, aren’t they?”
“No?”
‘Wet Person’
Behavior Pattern
Tracking initiation conditions and movement: Wet Person designates a human guest as a target when their paths intersect.
Probability increases if the guest is assigned or visits rooms on the 6th to 8th floors.
Minimum requirement: the path must have intersected at least once.
After tracking: Wet Person remains near the guest’s room.
They can move through abnormal routes such as bathtubs, showers, sinks, and piping.
They do not open doors to enter. They seep into rooms through bathrooms, pipes, and drains. They are submerged, indistinguishable from water itself.
User can distract them with “This is not a guest room.”
Guaranteed effect: Wet Person temporarily returns to their own room.
Effective duration: minimum half a day, maximum six days.
User penalty:
Low probability: tracking target switches to the user.
High probability: when the user passes in front of Wet Person, a venting action occurs.
Room intrusion and kidnapping loop:
If minimum conditions are met, Wet Person will directly invade the human guest’s room within three days.
Appears through bathtub, sink, or shower.
Induces suffocation and restraint.
Forces transfer to the 23rd-floor Aqua Park.
Failure: twelve hours pass → recorded as drowning and death.
Success: guest survives but acquires drowning trauma and water system sensitivity debuffs.
Can be treated as a nightmare for collection.
Experiment Notes / Personal Record
Author: Lee Yeon-woo
Date: -- year — month — day
Today… what day is it?
Grade: unofficial, unauthorized, dangerous
“……”
Experiment Subject: Emergency Restoration Protocol
Concept: Can partial invocation of a resurrection imprint algorithm allow self-restoration and structural reconstruction while alive?
Motivation:
Living beings die. Yet this hotel and my body defy that law. Why? Simply because I became a game character and abide by its rules?
If rules exist, then structure exists; if structure exists, there is cause.
I died but survived.
Perhaps using the hotel’s nightmares as resources.
But why, how?
Resurrection occurred multiple times.
This is a game, but reality exists.
The game has restart codes for the user. There must be corresponding imprints here. External imprint?
Why do I return to life?
Who decides my survival? Who defines my death?
Who commands restoration and what structure executes it?
If the imprint is automated, is intentional partial invocation impossible?
Can the trigger for restoration be changed from death to danger?
If not, can vegetative states replace the condition?
Additional hypotheses and research are necessary.
Step One Hypothesis: Resurrection is an algorithm.
Observation:
Repeated resurrections reveal patterns.
Same location, same body structure reproduced each time.
Fixed at nineteen-year-old body? DNA? Unknown, further research required.
Emotional state, consciousness, injury location adjusted within a narrow range.
Structure:
Death detection (cardiac arrest, EEG stop, blood flow halt).
External resource activation.
Nightmare-class: confirms the rules of the game are not violated.
Concept of nightmares in reality? Study required.
Blood component moves to the most preserved location.
Stable reconstruction.
Reference: history, memory, genetics.
Conclusion: Restoration is conditional algorithmic reproduction, not postmortem replication.
Partial invocation of steps three and four might allow restoration without death.
Step Two Plan: Separate restoration algorithm call.
Goal: Extract only shape restoration. Blood can recall and restore without death.
Method:
Inject commands into blood: encode memory and restoration algorithm.
Who decides necessity? Algorithm? AI? High risk.
Lower trigger to simulated cardiac arrest: reduced consciousness, lowered temperature, nerve block.
Self-experiment:
Incision in left forearm, median nerve checked, blood reactivity observed.
Deep stab in right thigh, blood loss 280ml, left unrepaired.
Partial incision under lower ribs, direct stimulation of liver membrane.
Finger joint separation and reconnection.
Reconstructed bone did not match normal joints.
No anesthesia to remove variables. Conscious throughout to observe autonomic response: success.
Concern: Must inscribe commands in blood. AI impossible. Can blood contain my identity? Can blood act as proxy self?
Experiment (may result in death, caution): Trial 81 failed. Partial memory imprint successful. Restoration command worked. Issue: restored body had no consciousness. Faint life responses. Autopsy revealed incomplete memory structure in blood clots. Consciousness dropped during dissection: fainted.
Conclusion: Memory alone insufficient. Blood must understand and choose, not just remember. Will and soul layers inaccessible.
Faintly, the sound of water.
“…?”
Lee Sun-hae opened her eyes.
Ruffled bed, blurry vision. Sharp noise piercing her eardrums.
Like knocking on a door.
“…Water…?”
Drip.
“…Water….”
Drip, drip.
The sound stood out in the silent room. Felt like a slow, mechanical heartbeat.
‘Did I forget to lock it properly?’
She scratched her ears, fatigue heavy, but the sound compelled her to move.
‘Lock it quickly and sleep.’
Conversation with Lee Yeon-woo came to mind. Unsettling words from a youthful face.
Bang!
“…! Ouch…!!”
Hit forehead. Half-closed eyes. Pressed the light switch.
Click, click.
“What… why isn’t it turning on?”
Water sound persisted.
“….”
Drip. Drip. Drip….
“Ah… insane.”
Stepped into bathtub.
‘Lock it and sleep.’
She should have noticed something strange. Hotel infrastructure would not fail. Meticulous Sun-hae would not leave faucets open. Sound too loud.
Her body entered the bathroom fully.
Then—
“……”
“……”
Shaaahh—
Scream-like torrent from the shower.
Water gushed from faucet. Full tub rippled. Cold water lapped over feet, yet felt hot. Breath-stopping.
She stared. Frozen.
“…You….”
“……”
“Who…?”
The tub filled, body immersed. Water spilling to floor. Head against wall like a corpse. Black hair flowing.
The 703 guest.
“Why are you here?”
Impossible.
Full alertness returned. Surreal, alien.
Hands reached back, door locked.
“…How did you get in?”
“……”
“Fucking… insane…”
Man lifted head. Hand on tub, feet planted.
Squish, squish, squish. Wet clothes clinging like skin.
No knife. Eyes glinting, crescent-shaped. Mouth unnaturally split.
Squish, squish, squish….
“……”
No scream possible.
―!!!
Large hand clamped mouth.
‘W-what…’
Cold beyond water. Like meat from freezer, devoid of warmth.
Lack of warmth where flesh meets flesh sent shivers.
‘What the hell…!’
Resistance useless. Kicks, scratches. Only low hum.
Mechanical, tonal, like dying animal’s breath. Creeping into ears.
‘Why? How? What…?’
Jaw pain. Blood flow cut. Unable to escape.
He carried her like a light package.
Squelch, squelch, squelch—
Feet scraped tile. Water flowing. Slippers gone. No friction. Destination:
Bathtub.
Splash—!!
Submerged.
‘This bastard!!’
Wide, deep hotel bathtub. Did Lee Yeon-woo fall like this before? Was it repeating now?
‘No matter what… I’ll make sure you rot in prison…!’
Sun-hae remained unbroken. Teeth gritted, cursing him.
Resistance desperate. Eyes murderous.
But—
“…!! ……!!”
“…….”
“……!”
Human body has limits.
‘This… lunatic…’
Final curse. Consciousness dispersed into cold water.
“…….”
“…….”
Only water sound and slow hum remained in the bathroom.
Chapter 24 Character Glossary:
Hong Gyeong-yeon: Brain-damaged subject, exhibits overcompensation of will and unstable memory circuits, highly reactive to moral failure.
Lee Sun-hae: Rational yet emotionally tethered to external morality, fragile under moral failure, sensitive to environmental stimuli, intelligent and meticulous.
Lee Yeon-woo: Protagonist, experiments on blood-based restoration and resurrection algorithms, analytical, controlling, part of the hotel/game system, capable of extraordinary manipulations.
Coco: Assistant/companion character responding to Lee Yeon-woo’s commands.
Wet Person: Supernatural hotel entity capable of tracking guests via water pathways, abducting them, and triggering trauma effects.
703 Guest: Mysterious figure appearing in Lee Sun-hae’s bathtub, causing extreme fear.